When Cherry Point was being built, we stopped in to ask the contractors what was coming.

“A real classy spot. A place with a nice bar.”

Got it. So a place just like every other new restaurant in Brooklyn. But it was still reason enough to be intrigued. Not because Greenpoint is lacking in good new restaurants, but because this particular street - Manhattan Avenue - hasn’t quite caught up with the gentrification the rest of the neighborhood has seen. When a hip new spot opens among the traditional Polish bakeries, Polish butchers, and Polish bodegas, you notice it.

Fast forward a few months, and Cherry Point is pretty much exactly as described: a classy new spot on a street where it stands out for being such. If anything, the place is trying just a little too hard - there are books on the wall, lots of exposed lightbulbs, and the kind of scattered, seemingly-sentimental random objects (a disco ball, a fireman’s hat) you imagine restaurants collect over time, but Cherry Point somehow accumulated in only a few months. That said, we’re not going to judge it, because those details are part of what makes Cherry Point a highly enjoyable place to hang out in. And that bar the guy mentioned? It’s the best seat in the house.

Unlike so many restaurants bending over backwards to accommodate the need for something “kind of healthy,” Cherry Point is quietly giving a hard pass to all that. Instead, you come to Cherry Point to sit at the bar, order a well-made cocktail, and go to town on a giant charcuterie plate, or a perfectly-cooked steak with some perfectly crispy fries. There’s not a whole lot on the menu, and you have to look pretty hard to find any vegetables, but what Cherry Point does (meats, cheese, bread), it does well.

This isn’t a destination restaurant by any means - it’s a place for the people that live around here. And that’s why, while Cherry Point might stick out a bit in its surroundings, it feels like something actually good for the neighborhood. Disco ball and all.

Food Rundown

Charcuterie

Cherry Point’s cheese and charcuterie offerings take up half the menu real estate. They smoke most of their meats and make their terrines in-house, so if you enjoy dabbling in such things, dabble away. Or just make a full meal out of it, like we saw a solo guy doing with a six-serving charcuterie plate, fries, and a cocktail. Adulthood is grand.

Steak Tartare

Raw meat, raw egg, and a mushroom and anchovy purée at the bottom. Not for the faint of heart, but definitely worth ordering if that combination speaks to you.

Burrata

A nice, light contrast to the meatier things that will be on your table. Not too light, though. Those are giant homemade croutons, aka fried pieces of butter-saturated bread.

Butcher’s Cut Steak Frites

Cherry Point does whole-animal butchering, which means that the cut you’ll get varies depending on whatever was prepped that day. If you’re the type that doesn’t like leaving your food to chance, know that every steak we’ve eaten here has been excellent. And you’re going to want to eat every single fry (double-dipped in garlic aioli) on the plate. This is always our main of choice at Cherry Point.

Double Patty Burger

You’re looking at two patties of house-ground meat, “strong cheese” (jury’s still out on what that means), pickles, and peppers. Ain’t she a beauty?

Pan Seared Poussin

Not into red meat? This young chicken might be small, but it’s mighty. Super juicy, super tasty.

Grilled Broccolini

So, you want to eat something green? This is one of your only options, and it’s burnt to a crisp with lots of peppery, crushed hard-boiled egg whites on top. Not much green in sight. And we’re ok with that.